Box-fastener.



PATENTED MAR.' 8, 1904,

F. MOELLENBROGK.

BOX FASTENER. APPLIoAnoN FILED SEPT. a`, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

Wihyzssas H: Nonms FUER Nirnn ,STATES Patented March 8, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

BOX-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 753,996, dated March 8, 1904.

Application filed September 3, 1903. Serial No. 171,801. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK MOELLENBROGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dissen, in the county of Franklin and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Box- Fastener, of which the following is a speci- "h cation.

This invention relates to box-fasteners; and it consists in certain improvements upon a box-fastener patented to me October 1, 1901, by Letters Patent No. 683,781.

The object of the invention is to provide improved means for fastening a removable lid to a box in a secure and convenient manner and to provide a fastener which when the lid is removed from the box may be folded into contact with the under surface of the lid, so as to be entirely out of the way.

A further object of the invention is to improve the construction Iof box-fasteners of the type to which this invention relates by materially cheapening the cost of constructing the fastener and applying it to a box-lid.

rl`he invention consists in the combination of parts of a box-fastener hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying' drawings, forming part of this specification, and having the novel features thereof pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of the device may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacricing its advantages.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box having the improved fastener applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view in section through one end of the box and the lid in a plane extending longitudinally of the box. Fig. 3 is a view ofthe fastener proper and the cleat by which it is supported detached from the box-lid. Fig. 4 is a view from the side of one end of the lid with the loop swung into contact with the under surface of the lid.

Referring to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by the sam"`e characters of reference throughout, 1 designates the body of an ordinary box as commonly used for shipping eggs and having the ordinary flat top or lid 2 resting upon theV vwhich are of greatest depth at the upper ends and whose bottoms are inclined, so that they merge into the inner face of the cleat at the lower margin thereof. The upper ends of the groove 5 are of sufhcient depth to merge into the channels 1 upon the upper surfaces of the cleats 3. The channels 1 and grooves 5 on each cleat serve conjointly to form a seat for a fastening member 6, which consists of a loop of spring-wire of suitable weight and which is substantially rectangular in form, as shown, comprising a lower horizontal portion 6a, the vertical side portions 6b, the upper horizontal portions 6C, which lie in the grooves 4, and the downwardly-disposed terminal portions 6, which rest in the grooves 5. The terminal portions 6d lie normally parallel with the side portions 6b and permit the loops to be sprung inward until they come substantially into contact with the under surface of the lid 2; but when the loops are swung downward the terminal portions 6d strike against the bottoms of the grooves 5 and hold the loops in the position relative to the cleats. (Indicated in Fig. 3)

The cross bars or cleats 3 are designed to lie against the respective ends of the box, so as to prevent any endwise displacement of the lid, and they normally rest upon transverse cleats 7 of similar dimensions, rigidly attached to the ends of the box on the outside, as shown. The cleats 7 are so proportioned that when the box-lid is in position on top of the box the loops 6 will embrace the said cleats and contact with the ends of the box beneath the cleats, being held in firm contact with the ends of the box by the resiliency of the wire of which the loops are made.

In order to disengage the loops 6 from the IOO cleats 7 upon the box, it is necessary that they should be sprung outward from the ends of the box suiiiciently to clear the outer sides of the cleats, and in order to facilitate the outward springing of the loops when it is desired to remove the box-lid the sides of the box are cut away at 8, so that the thumb or forenger may be conveniently brought into contact with the end of the loop.

The sides of the box are cut away at both ends, as shown, so that either of the loops may be disengaged from the cleat which it embraces; but it will be understood that in removing the lid from the box it is unnecessary to spring both of the loops outward. By springing one loop outward sufficiently to clear the outer side of the cleat embraced thereby one end of the box-lid may be raised and the other end will swing upon the loop provided thereat as a hinge and permit the removal of the lid without difiiculty.

From the foregoing description and the drawings illustrative thereof it will be seen that by providing the cleats 3 with channels of the form described and constructing the loops in the manner specified the construction of the fastener is made considerably simpler and cheaper than that shown in my prior patent above mentioned, while at the same time none of the mechanical advantages or durability of the device are lost, and the folding of the loops against the under surface of the box-lid gets them out of the way, so that the box-lid will take up less space when removed. As dealers in eggs usually have a large number of boxes or crates on hand at `Q'ne time and open for convenient removal of eggs therefrom, the folding of the fasteners into contact with the under surface of the lid, so that the lids will occupy much less space when removed, is a very material advantage from a practical point of view. Furthermore, the possibility of bending the loops so that they will not embrace the cleats on the end of the box, which is of not infrequent occurrence when the loops are not susceptible of folding out of the way, is positively prevented.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. rIhe combination with a box, of a lid having a transversely-arranged end cleat having channels in the upper surface thereof, a spring-catch pivotally mounted in the channels on said cleat to swing substantiallyinto contact with the under surface of the lid and having its outward pivotal movement limited, and a member on the box for engagement with said catch.

2. The combination with a box, of a lid having a cleat transversely arranged at the end thereof, a loop of resilient material pivotally mounted in said cleat to swing substantially into contact with the under surface of the lid and having its outward movement limited, and a member on said box in position to be encircled by the loop.

3. The combination with a box, of a lid having a transversely-arranged end cleat channeled on its upper surface, a loop of resilient material pivotally mounted in the channel to swing substantially into contact with the under surface of the lid and having its outward movement limited, and a member on the box for engagement with said loop.

4. rIhe combination with a box, of a lid having a transversely-arranged end cleat channeled on the top, a loop of resilient material pivotally mounted in the channel to swing substantially into contact with the under surface of the lid and having its outward movement limited, and an external, transverselyarranged cleat on the end of the box for engagement with said loop.

5. The combination with a box, of a lid having a transversely-arranged end cleat channeled on its upper surface and having grooves on the inner face thereof merging at the top into the channel, a loop of resilient material having horizontal portions resting in the channel and downwardly-bent terminal portions lying in said grooves, and a member on the nutside of the box for engagement with said oop.

6. The combination with a box, of a lid having a transversely-arranged end cleat provided on its upper surface with a longitudinal channel and having on the inner face thereof two downwardly-disposed grooves merging at their upper ends into said channel and having inclined bottoms, a loop of resilient material having horizontal portions resting in the channel on top of said cleat and downwardly-disposed terminal portions lying in said grooves, and a member on the outside of the box for engagement with said loop.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' Y F. MOELLENBROCK.

Witnesses:

LoUIs KOCH, H. A. PANHoRsT.

IOO 

